New Delhi: Four Army personnel were killed Monday in a fierce gun battle with suspected Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists in south Kashmir’s Pulwama, four days after the worst attack on security forces in Jammu and Kashmir in the same district.
Top sources said soldiers from 55 Rashtriya Rifles of the Army along with Special Operations Group of the Jammu and Kashmir Police and personnel from 182 and 183 Battalion of the CRPF are involved in the operation that is continuing.
Based on very specific intelligence, a Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) was launched late Sunday night. As the cordon was being laid, the terrorists opened fire at the Quick Reaction Team headed by an Army major.
Despite being injured, the soldiers fired back, sources said, adding that the four were killed in this exchange of fire.
Another soldier who was injured was evacuated. He is now stable after being operated upon, sources said.
Three terrorists are suspected to be holed up.
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Operation
The CASO was launched following multiple raids that were carried out by the security forces in south Kashmir after the attack Thursday. Based on interrogation, an input was received about a group of JeM terrorists linked to the deadly attack that killed 40 CRPF personnel.
The identity of the terrorists holed up haven’t been confirmed but sources said they are carrying out tactical firing indicating that the terrorists, or at least one of them, is heavily armed and well trained.
Following the attack on the CRPF convoy, the hunt is on for the suspected mastermind of the deadly attack — an Afghan war veteran who had infiltrated into Kashmir in December, along with two others.
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